Volume control for laboratory faucets



`uly 4, 1967 J. A. NEUWORTH 3,329,397

VOLUME CONTROL FOR LABORATORY FAUCETS Filed July 8, 1964 ly. 56.6 A INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,329,397 VOLUME CONTROL FOR LABORATORY FAUCETS Joseph A. Neuworth, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Mil- Waukee Faucets, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed July 8, 1964, Ser. No. 381,198 3 Claims. (Cl. 251-292) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a volume control intended especially for laboratory faucets.

Background and prior art It is common practice in laboratories, whether they be for instructional, research, or medical purposes, to provide the laboratory tables or work benches with supplies of frequently needed fluids either from a central supply or by gravity feeding from an elevated bottle. Typical fluids include reagents, titration solutions, and distilled water. While the ready accessibility of these fluids facilitates laboratory procedures, the high cost of these solutions increases the necessity of preventing excessive or unauthorized use of them.

Summary of the invention The invention herein described and claimed obtains the conservation of such expensive solutions by providing a volume control valve in the supply system by means of which the lab instructor, supervisor, or other person having a special tool or key necessary to operate the valve may regulate the use of the fluids. Thus, the instructor may turn the valve to reduce the flow rate to a minimum or as otherwise desired to prevent the withdrawal of excessive quantities of the uids which are subsequently not utilized and are caused to flow down the drain.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and highly efficient adjustable flow regulator especially adapted for economical volume control of tap and distilled water or other lab liquid.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved laboratory volume control valve which is highly flexible in its adaptations, which can be quickly and easily installed by a novice, and which may be readily adjusted by authorized personnel for a complete range of volume control.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

Description of the drawing A clear conception of the several features constituting the present improvement and of the mode of applying and utilizing volume control valves embodying the invention may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

FIGURE 1 shows a laboratory liquid supply system employing the present invention to contr-ol the dispensing of the liquid;

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross sectional view of a valve employing the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG- URE' 1;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 showing the use of the valve to control fluid flow; and

FIGURES 5 and 6 are views of another embodiment of the present invention.

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Referring now to FIGURE 1, a laboratory workbench 1 is supplied with a reagent from a central source (not shown) through supply pipe 3. Supply pipe 3 terminates at faucet 5 which controls the normal operation of the liquid supply. The outlet of faucet 5 is connected to gooseneck 7 containing valve 9 on the opposite or discharge end thereof. Ridged nozzle `11 mounted on valve 9 provides for the connection of a rubber hose or other laboratory apparatus.

As shown in FIGURE 2, valve 9 comprises a valve housing 12, containing the ridged nozzle 11 and a threaded portion 13 for attaching valve 9 to gooseneck 7. FIGURE 3 indicates that valve housing 12 may be formed as a hexagonal nut to facilitate the attaching and detaching 0f valve 9 to gooseneck 7.

A fluid passage 15 in threaded portion 13 of the valve 9 terminates at a transverse circular valve bore 17 in valve housing 12, and a fluid passage 19 extends from the diametrically opposite side of the valve bore 17 through ridged nozzle 11.

A valve plug 21 is inserted in circular valve bore 17, and this valve plug 21 contains a fluid passage 23. Fluid flow through valve 9 is controlled by rotating plug 2l so that fluid passage 23- is in full, partial, or out of alignment with the fluid passages 15 and 19. Valve plug 21 is retained in bore 17 by split ring 25, constructed of resilient material, and mounted in groove 26 in valve housing 12. A sealing means such as an elastic O-ring 27 is mounted in an annular groove formed in valve plug 21 to form a seal between the plug and the inner portion of circular v-alve bore 17. In the outer end of valve plug 21 is a polygonal shaped depression or recess 28 which is formed to receive a special tool 29. While this tool is shown as an Allen wrench in FIGURE 1, the tool 29 and depresion 28 in valve plug 21 may be of any shape that will enable transmission of rotary motion to the valve plug or spool 21. In use, tool 29 is inserted in the polygonal recess 28 and valve plug 21 is rotated, as shown in FIGURE 4, until the desired flow rate or volume of liquid passing through valve 9 is obtained. Tool 29 is then removed and valve 9 may not be further adjusted or tampered with without re-application of tool 29, thus preventing unauthorized adjustment Aand resultant excessive use of liquid.

FIGURES 5 and 6 show a slightly different embodiment of the present invention wherein the ridged nozzle 11 is mounted at an angle to fluid passages 15 and 19 rather than at the discharge end of a goosneck spout as in the other views. In all other respects, operation of valve 9 is identical to that shown in FIGURES l through 4, and further description is believed unnecessary.

In either of the embodiments shown, the valve bore 17 is of greater depth than the valve plug or spool 21, and the O-ring seal is always located to the side of the valve passage 23 nearest the bore entrance. Thus, pressure build-up in the passage 15 will also flnd its way to the bottom of the bore 17 and will react against the inner end of the valve spool 21 to maintain the spool in tight contact with split ring 26. Thus, the valve spool or plug will always remain properly seated with the passage 23 properly aligned with the axial plane of the conduits 15 and 19, thus obviating any need for careful accuracy in the production and assembly of the improved devices.

While the invention has :been described in its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation and that changes may be made within the pur view of the appended claims without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention. Also, the improved volume control may find many additional uses wherein it is desired to conserve on liquids dispensed vthrough a faucet or the like.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention;

I claim:

1. An adapter for a valve controlled faucet to provide variable volume control of uids dispensed from the faucet independently of the main flow control valve, said adapter comprising, a housing having a polygonal body and a cylindrical portion extending axially therefrom for attachment vto the spout of the faucet, said housing being formed with a iluid passageway extending axially therethrough with the polygonal body portion thereof having a bore extending inwardly from one of its at surfaces and intersecting the Huid passageway, a cylindrical valve plug housed entirely within the bore of said polygonal body portion with its outer end being formed with a tool receiving socket exposed through the adjacent end of the bore the bore being of greater depth than said plug and said valve plug having a fluid passage extending therethrough and alignable with the axial fluid passageway of said housing to permit control of fluid flow through the passageway upon rotation of said plug by a tool receivable within its socket, and means for retaining said valve plug within the bore of said polygonal body portion.

2. An adapter according to claim 1, wherein the means for retaining the valve plug within the bore of the polygonal body portion consists of a split ring removably received with an annular groove formed in the bore of the polygonal body portion adjacent the outer end thereof.

3. An adapter according to claim 2, wherein the cylindrical valve plug is formed with an annular outwardly open groove between its outer end and the fluid passage formed therein, and a flexible O-ring seal is mounted within said annular groove, the O-ring seal being distortable and co-acting with the bore wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 14,982 5/ 1856 Fox 251--292 X 234,377 =1 1/ 1880 Fetterly et al. 251-292 X 332,648 12/1885 Dutton 251-292 3,232,579 2/1966 Jeffrey 251-312 FOREIGN PATENTS 183,298 4/ 19.07 Germany.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

R. C. MILLER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ADAPTER FOR A VALVE CONTROLLED FAUCET TO PROVIDE VARIABLE VOLUME CONTROL OF FLUIDS DISPENSED FROM THE FAUCET INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MAIN FLOW CONTROL VALVE, SAID ADAPTER COMPRISING, A HOUSING HAVING A POLYGONAL BODY AND A CYLINDRICAL PORTION EXTENDING AXIALLY THEREFROM FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE SPOUT OF THE FAUCET, SAID HOUSING BEING FORMED WITH A FLUID PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING AXIALLY THERETHROUGH WITH THE POLYGONAL BODY PORTION THEREOF HAVING A BORE EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM ONE OF ITS FLAT SURFACES AND INTERSECTING THE FLUID PASSAGEWAY, A CYLINDRICAL VALVE PLUG HOUSED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE BORE OF SAID POLYGONAL BODY PORTION WITH ITS OUTER END BEING FORMED WITH A TOOL RECEIVING SOCKET EXPOSED THROUGH THE ADJACENT END OF THE BORE THE BORE BEING OF GREATER DEPTH THAN SAID PLUG AND SAID VALVE PLUG HAVING A FLUID PASSAGE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND ALIGNABLE WITH THE AXIAL FLUID PASSAGEWAY OF SAID HOUSING TO PERMIT CONTROL OF FLUID FLOW THROUGH THE PASSAGEWAY UPON ROTATION OF SAID PLUG BY A TOOL RECEIVABLE WITHIN ITS SOCKET, AND MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID VALVE PLUG WITHIN THE BORE OF SAID POLYGONAL BODY PORTION. 